What can you use as a thriller plant for your container garden? Actually, almost any plant can be used as a thriller, as long as you give it a starring position, usually in the center of the pot, and surround it with smaller, contrasting plants. In general, though, a thriller should be of a good size (at least compared to its container) and have a striking color, silhouette, texture or other trait that makes it stand out from the crowd.
Here are some plants that can make really good thrillers for home containers:
- Agave (Agave americana)
- Angelonia (Angelonia spp.)
- Bamboo (Bambusa spp., Phyllostachys spp., etc.)
- Banana (Musa spp., Ensete spp.)
- Brugmansia (Brugmansia spp.)
- Caladium (Caladium hortulanum)
Cannova® cannas, a series of lower-growing, longer blooming cannas. - Canna (Canna spp.)
- Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)
- Citrus (orange tree, lemon tree, etc.) (Citrus spp.)
- Coleus (Coleus scutellarioides)
- Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
- Cuphea ‘Vermillionaire’ (Cuphea ‘Vermillionaire’)
- Dahlia, taller varieties (Dahlia cvs)
- Dragon Wing begonia (Begonia x Dragon Wing®)
- Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.)
- Fig (Ficus carica)
- Firecracker plant (Russelia equisetiformis)
- Flowering maple (Abutilon spp.)
- Gaura (Gaura lindheimeri)
- Giant elephant’s ear (Alocasia spp.)
Variegated giant reed - Giant reed (Arundo donax ‘Variegata’)
- Glory flower (Tibouchina spp.)
- Leatherleaf sedge (Carex buchananii and others)
- Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus spp.)
- Mealy sage (Salvia farinacea)
New Zealand flax (unknown cultivar) - New Zealand flax (Phormium spp.)
- Oleander (Nerium oleander)
- Palm (Chamaedorea spp., Chrysalidocarpus spp., Rhapis excelsa, etc.)
- Papyrus (Cyperus alternifolius, Cyperus papyrus, etc.)
- Paris Daisy (Agyranthemum spp.)
- Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum ‘Purple Majesty’)
Persian shield - Persian shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus)
- Purple elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum)
- Red fountain grass (Pennisetum x advena ‘Rubrum’)
- Red-leaf hibiscus (Hibiscus acetosella)
- Rose bush (Rosa spp.)
- Rush (Juncus effusus ‘Spiralis’ and others)
- Scarlet sage (Salvia splendens)
- Snapdragon, taller varieties (Antirrhinum majus)
- Spike dracena (Cordyline australis)
- Taro (Colocasia esculenta)
- Zinnia, taller varieties (Zinnia spp.)
For more information on container gardens, click here.